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Published Saturday, August 29, 2009 in Opinion

As we honor our local GED graduates, 1.1 million adult Georgians have no diploma

Editorial

There was a celebration Thursday night at the Coweta County Center for the Performing and Visual Arts. It was CLICK's annual GED graduation, and graduates were honored at the cap-and-gown ceremony.

This graduation is meaningful because it recognizes people who had to drop out of high school but had the ambition to return to school and earn a GED, the equivalent of a high school diploma.

A high school or GED diploma is vital in today's society. Almost all jobs require a high school education or more. Those people who do not have that diploma will most likely never realize their full earnings potential. Also, a community's work force is not as attractive to employers if too many people lack a high school education.

On the eve of the CLICK GED graduation, we received information from the Office of Adult Education in the Technical College System of Georgia noting there are 1.1 million adults in Georgia over the age of 25 who do not have a high school or GED diploma. That's a staggering number.

The Office of Adult Literacy at the state level and organizations like CLICK in our community are committed to reducing the 1.1 million. Sept. 8 is International Literacy Day, and on that day the Office of Adult Literacy is having a statewide Ecumenical Outreach Program at Beulah Baptist Church, 2340 Clifton Springs Road, Decatur, to bring attention to the need for adult education.

Among those participating in the program are U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson and Georgia Labor Commissioner Michael L. Thurmond. Faith-based leaders and their key education/outreach staff are invited to the daylong program. Registration fee is $30. You can register online at www.tcsg.edu or get information from Victoria Porter at 404-679-4959.

This is an important meeting. Churches can play an important role in helping their members get involved in adult education classes and ultimately earning a GED diploma.

Our state must focus more and more attention on adult education. We must get these 1.1 million underachieving members of our work force back in the classroom. It's for the good of each individual and for the good of the entire state's work force.

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